conworldfandomcom-20200222-history
Assassination of Steven Hong
| type = | fatalities = 1 killed | injuries = 2 injured | victim = Carson Davis, Steven Hong, Allison Perry | perps = Dylan Coulter | perp = | perpetrators= | perpetrator = Unknown | susperps = Radical republicanism United Farmers' Front | susperp = | weapons = | numparts = | numpart = | dfens = | dfen = | footage = | motive = Anger towards "complicit monarchism" within the Democratic-Republican Party establishment, anger towards non-white people }} Steven Hong, the 22nd Prime Minister of Sierra, was shot and fatally wounded by Dylan Coulter at 4:38 pm (11:38 ), on Friday, August 12, 2016, in the Old Sycamore Courthouse, Juno, Plumas. The Prime Minister died en route to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:54 pm by emergency care workers. Coulter has been apprehended by police, and captured on the scene, and is currently undergoing interrogation and criminal processing. According to a 38-page manifesto, Coulter's motivation for the attack was his apparent disapproval of the Democratic-Republican Party's "complicit monarchism" and for the progressive policies that the party establishment supported, most particularly, its "multicultural platform". Immediately after Hong's declared death, his deputy, Preston Bolivar, assumed the Prime Ministry in an acting capacity accordingly to the Sierran line of succession as described by the Constitution. Bolivar declared a state of emergency and as Hong's running mate, suspended Hong's campaign, leaving the Democratic-Republicans without a nominee temporarily. Two days after Hong's death, the Democratic-Republican declared former San Francisco Governor Terry Scott, the party frontrunner, its new nominee. The assassination elicited sharp reactions and responses within the Kingdom and in the international community. Queen Angelina II made a rare television appearance, delivering a speech urging resolve and strength in light of the calamity, and vowed to hold all those accountable to justice. Likewise, Parliament authorized Bolivar's call for a state of emergency, and activated an open investigation in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice and Sierran intelligence agencies. In response to the assassination, the Conference of American States summoned a special session regarding the political crisis and to coordinate an investigation on the death of the Prime Minister. The assassination also provoked widespread demonstrations and protests, and even civil unrest in certain regions, and long-term debates on , republicanism, and race relations, as well as its dire impact on the upcoming prime ministerial election in October which Hong was running for. A few days following Hong's death, the Democratic-Republican selected running mate Terry Scott as their new official nominee. Hong's death triggered an ongoing state of conflict in parts of Sierra, particularly in the Styxie. As of October 9, 2016, police has made over 4,500 arrests over incidents directly connected to the conflict between radical monarchists and republicans, and as much as 200 individuals were killed, and thousands more injured in a direct result from the violent outbreak. Over $25 billion in private property was damaged or destroyed over the course of a month, and in two notable instances, the use of pipe bombs led to the death of 11 individuals. Since August, the National Guard was controversially granted permission to enforce martial law in certain neighborhoods, with critics and detractors labeling the act as a form of "cultural apartheid", by segregating off republican and monarchist neighborhoods from each other. On October 1, the National Guard was given an extension by executive order from Acting Prime Minister Preston Bolivar to continue occupation well past in the Election Day on October 14, until at least Thanksgiving week. Background Steven Hong was Sierra's 22nd prime minister, and was initially elected into office in 2008. A Democratic-Republican, Hong promoted centrist policies as prime minister, and was a staunch ally of the monarchy. The party was originally founded in 1858 in response to the formation of the Sierran monarchy by republicans who opposed its existence, and advocated for its immediate abolition. Republicanism and the party was especially prevalent in the Styxie, and was a leading factor in the outbreak of the Sierran Civil War in the 1870s. Although the war neutralized overt republicanism within the party, it was not until the 1902 election did the Democratic-Republican National Convention officially dropped republicanism from its platform. Cultural republicanism has continued to be an influential force in Styxer politics and society, although explicitly political republicanism is uncommon, and typically associated with terrorism and white nationalism. The assailant, Dylan Coulter, a 27-year old man from Apfelhain, Shasta, (who was living in Bernheim at the time) was a self-identified "positive" republican and was angry at the Democratic-Republican Party for its support of the monarchy, and abandonment of the party's original republicanism. Coulter was also a member of the Imperial Knights of Sierra, a white supremacist group, and he frequently visited white nationalist and Neo-Nazi websites. He wrote a 38-page paper detailing his personal ideology and had chosen Hong as his prime target since at least June 2015. He was inspired to attack in response to Hong's support for the ascension of Queen Angelina II after her father's abdication. Prime ministerial campaign tour Steven Hong was selected as the Democratic-Republican nominee at the Democratic-Republican National Convention on June 9, 2016, defeating contender Terry Scott by 223 delegates. As the nominee, Hong refined his focus against Royalist challenger Daniel McComb and Libertarian challenger Ryan Porter. Hoping to keep control over the Styxie, which had turned from a once solidly Democratic-Republican base to a battleground region, Hong devoted most of his time securing votes in the region, and hopes toward uniting a "divided party" against the right. Hong toured the Bernheim-Oakalona-Plainsfield metropolitan area in August after the convention, and then spent time in Santa Clara before moving into Plumas. Juno was part of Hong's itinerary where the town would host a party leadership retreat there as a post-convention meeting to reinforce images of party solidarity and dedication to defeat McComb and Porter. Assassination Tour in Juno Arriving to Juno in the morning of August 12, 2016, Steven Hong and his entourage, which included fellow Democratic-Republican leaders Allison Perry and Carson Davis, received a welcoming reception by the Bailiff and Town Board of Juno. Over 1,000 were invited to a public-event gala held in the Old Sycamore Courthouse to celebrate party unity. Hong and the party establishment had planned to stay in Juno in a retreat for the weekend, before moving northward into Shasta and then east to Washumko and Reno. Hong dined at a local restaurant, attracting media attention, and some of the last footage of Hong was shot during the morning. At noon, Hong, Perry, and Davis retired into the Courthouse where they held a meeting in private ahead of the scheduled gala to be held at 3 later that afternoon. Gala at the Old Sycamore Courthouse At 3 pm, the Old Sycamore Courthouse, the administrative center of Juno, began the Democratic-Republican Juno Open Forum and Gala in one of its conference rooms. Admission to the event was open to the public, free of charge, but everyone accessing the building through the main point of entry were subject to a full body scan, and prohibited among other things, weapons, sharp utensils, and cameras. A media-restricted entry into the building to the side of the building was reserved for journalists and other pre-cleared personnel as well, and were not subject to a full body scan. The security protocol at the time, only called for individuals to surrender their identification card, and their clearance card before an agent. Dylan Coulter, who was aware of Hong's schedule and location, was friends with local RBS journalist Anna Sharpton, and was able to access the Courthouse in-and-out with a guest pass. He rented out a hotel room at the Clear Moon Inn, the night before and stashed his weapons there as his safehouse, and carried a handgun with him. He had originally hoped to find a vantage point that could be used to aim at Hong and other guests with a sniper rifle but after assessing the building, he deemed it was too difficult to pull off, and believed it was necessary for him to kill Hong in close proximity. At 2:46, Coulter passed the security checkpoint, and entered the building armed without incident, carrying with him a Glock pistol which was allowed in by the Secret Service personnel. Awaiting for the prime minister and the other party leaders to enter the main conference room, witnesses say Coulter was casually conversing with other reporters, and showed no signs of distress or other suspicious behavior. Prime Minister Hong, Carson, Perry, and Hong's campaign spokeswoman Sherri Dahlmans were introduced into the conference room by Bailiff Dan Bradshaw, and were seated in a single long-table arrangement before entire rows of chairs for the public, and another section to the right of Hong reserved for the media, where Coulter was. Shooting and death About an hour and a half into the press conference that consisted of speeches made by party leaders including Hong himself, the conference entered into an open forum with a Q&A format, with leaders taking inquiries from the general public and the media. As live footage showed, Coulter was called on to speak after his hand was raised for quite some time, and proceeded to the inquiry stand, just mere feet away from the Prime Minister. He asked, "Your Excellency, as a Democratic-Republican, what have you done to end the tyranny that is the monarchy?" Hong responded that he was a committed supporter for the monarchy, and emphasized that it was a legitimate institution supported by the "overwhelming majority". When Coulter was asked to step down, he refused and pulled out his gun, firing at Hong once in the abdomen, and another just below his heart (this bullet ripped through Hong and hit Allison Perry), and then fired one shot at Carson Davis in the shoulder before he was tackled by Secret Service agents and two intervening civilians. Hong was immediately rushed out as first responders quickly arrived on scene, and the prime minister was loaded into an ambulance by 4:30. Carson, who received a gunshot wound on his right shoulder, was treated on site, while Perry's right arm was grazed by the second bullet which ripped through Hong. The public was evacuated out by police and party leaders were instructed to remain in the building under the protection of the Secret Service, who locked down the Courthouse. Hong, who was conscious during his final minutes, was bleeding profusely which ambulance responders attempted to treat. However, at 4:54 pm, sixteen minutes after the shooting, Hong was declared dead mere minutes away from the closest hospital in Sierra City. The cause of death was unofficially declared to be blood loss from internal bleeding caused by his abdomen and chest wounds. Arrest of Dylan Coulter Following Coulter's apprehension, the Sutter County Sheriff's Department held him at the police headquarters in Dappe for interrogation, and worked alongside the Royal Bureau of Investigation in collecting physical evidence, and interviewing witnesses. Coulter was interrogated continuously during the entirety of the evening, and was questioned again between 7 am to 2 pm the following day. During the interrogation, Coulter insisted that the shooting was indeed premeditated, and fully intended in harming the prime minister, although stated that although he was "pleased" with Hong's death, he initially claimed that he did not necessarily seek Hong to die. He maintained that he intentionally shot Hong in the abdomen, hoping Hong would be incapacitated from office. These statements were later contradicted in trial when he stated he wanted Hong to "suffer a slow death", rather than an immediate one from a headshot. Immediate response Immediately after Hong's death was announced, the Constitution's provision on the line of succession was activated, and the powers and responsibilities of the Prime Ministry was transferred to Deputy Prime Minister Preston Bolivar who was in Porciúncula during the attack. Parliament summoned a special session immediately, having just started a weekend-long recess. The Ministry of Justice, Parliament, Royal Bureau of Investigation, and Royal Intelligence Agency began a joint investigation on Hong's death, and the failure of the Secret Service to protect the Prime Minister quickly came under suspicion, and the Executive Council issued an order for all agents involved at the scene to be summoned for inquiry. Deputy Prime Minister Preston Bolivar, from the Getty House, issued a state of emergency, and urged restraint among citizens and promised to bring all those responsible to justice, and punished to the fullest extent accorded by law. The Queen also made similar remarks from her dorm at , and called for solidarity and resolve. Protests and civil unrest already began soon after news of Hong's death dominated the media. In the Styxie, where relations between republicans and monarchists are the worst in the Kingdom, clashes erupted, with angered monarchists targeting republican neighborhoods, and organized republican groups such as the United Farmers' Front, urging republicans to band up and arm themselves against the attackers. Aftermath The Old Sycamore Courthouse was closed from the general public, and the Juno town government temporarily operated its administrative functions in the adjacent visitors' center station. The room that Coulter stayed in at the Clear Moon Inn was sealed off and closed for further investigation, and the Fremont Sedna that Coulter rented from Gogo Auto Rentals, was impounded to the Sutter County Sheriff's Department for analysis. Headlines and television broadcasts exploded, feeding on wide speculation and conspiracy theories surrounding Hong's death, and the civil unrest that erupted in response to Hong's death. In Bernheim and vicinity, as well as Richmond had descended into violent clashes between monarchists (including the Sierran Jacobite community) and republicans. Perry, who was released from the hospital following light treatment, called in the National Guard to quell the violence, and to protect republican neighborhoods under assault by the monarchists. The attack unearthed decades of tensions between radical monarchists and republicans, with the former accusing the republicans as "enablers" who allowed the assassination to take place. In response, radical republicans, many being poor whites, began looting and attacking predominantly Asian neighborhoods, who were traditionally strong Royalists, taking advantage of the unrest to further unravel racial tensions. The PSE Composite Index declined sharply following news of Hong's death, and fell over 1,000 points as news of riots and clashes pulled through, the biggest drop in the 2015-16 fiscal year in Sierra. It leveled off during the weekend following confirmation that most of the initial riots had been mitigated through the introduction of the National Guard. The deputy prime ministerial and prime ministerial debates that were originally planned in the final months of the electoral year were either cancelled or postponed, with the Prime Ministerial Debates Authority stating that it would cut down the remaining debates to only two–one in early September and the other in early October, and the deputy prime ministerial debate dropped entirely. Acting Prime Minister Preston Bolivar, who was formally inaugurated as prime minister before Parliament on August 14, regain order and political stability, and would only serve until the inauguration of the next elected prime minister. He was originally Hong's running mate for the upcoming election, seeking to have a third term in office. Following Hong's death, Bolivar suspended Hong's campaign and left the Democratic-Republicans without a nominee. On August 15, the Democratic-Republican National Committee announced that former San Francisco governor Terry Scott, who was the frontrunner to the party nomination process back in June, and was present at the assassination scene, was the party's new official candidate. Scott pledged to unify his party and the nation, and selected Jamie Santiago, former governor of Imperial, as his running mate. Ultimately, Hong's party and legacy was declared "undone" by the election of Royalist candidate Daniel McComb who defeated Scott by a comfortable margin of 4.4%. McComb, who had criticized Hong's economic and foreign policies, announced his intention to "critically evaluate and discern" Hong's policies shortly after his election. During the transition stage between Bolivar and McComb, the prime minister-elect met with Hong's family, and discussed plans to establish a national memorial or commemorative statute in Hong's honor. McComb also talked with close confidants of Hong from within the Getty House and the Executive Council, on ensuring a smooth transition from the Hong-era ministry to McComb's. Hong's assassination brought major changes to security protocol and procedure, as well as steps towards tighter security by the KS Secret Service. The Secret Service received renewed training to conform to the new standards, which included "hovering" (continuous cycling of agents in very close range length from the prime minister and other high-security officials in public events). Funeral After Hong's body was examined and autopsied by the Sutter County Coroner, his body was flown to Porciúncula where it was prepared by a local morgue on Sunday, August 14. After discharge from the morgue, his body was in a coffin draped with the Sierran flag carried by a horse-drawn , accompanied by state-sanctioned mourning pedestrians, uniformed soldiers, police motorcades, and a caravan of s. State officials including many members of Parliament, ministers, governors, and members of the Royal Family, as well as Hong's family members and invited guests walked alongside the casket as it rode from the Getty House to Parliament Building. Tens of thousands spectated the funeral parade, and many more attended Parliament Building where Hong's body was . The public wake ceremony was open day and night, and under constant supervision by uniformed guards, who changed officers and colors every 3 hours. On August 18, Thursday, six days after Hong's death, his body was carried out of the Rotunda and transported by the same horse-drawn caisson from that Sunday, and was led by Old Jasper, a black to the Porciúncula Episcopal Cathedral of Saint Paul. His body was accompanied by all military units, with a platoon of the Marines 16th Battalion leading a drum line, beating in a continuous, monotonous rhythm. Many dignitaries including presidents, prime ministers, royals, and other global leaders were a total of 189 foreign dignitaries in attendance. One part of the parade generated controversy. As Hong's casket passed the Sierran Civil War National Memorial, it passed through an assembly of uniformed officers holding flags of all of the PSAs and territories. As the casket passed each flagbearer, the flagbearer out of respect. When the casket passed the flags of the Styxie provinces, they were lowered as well, breaking the longstanding tradition of the Styxer flags' ceremonial refusal to dip. Dipping the flag symbolized submission to the Crown in the eyes of republicans, and was the non-participation of the Styxer flags were honored by the Kingdom at all processions since the end of the Sierran Civil War out of respect and legacy. The dipped flags were publicly televised, and further inflamed republican passions back in the Styxie, where civil unrest was still ongoing at the time of the funeral. Upon arriving to the Cathedral, his casket was carried by select PSA governors including Gov. Allison Perry (SJ) and Gov. Michel Stagg (GC) up the steps, and presented before Bishop Opeyemi Taiwo who delivered an opening prayer. The casket was then carried down the cathedral aisle by the Hong Family, before the casket was laid on stage. Rabbi Aaron Carlebach and Supreme Court Chief Justice Preston Brantly delivered readings, before Acting Prime Minister Preston Bolivar, and Smith, Duke of Cabo (the former king of whom Hong had served under), delivered their . The service ended with hymns sung by the All-Korean Heavenly Glory Choir, and then Scripture reading by Bishop Taiwo. Kevin Woo, a former pastor of Hong's childhood church, Monterey Park Korean Methodist Church, delivered the benediction. Afterwards, Hong's body was for the last time transported by the caisson as it proceeded its way to the Sawtelle National Cemetery. The burial service commenced promptly at 6 pm (PST), and following an hour-and-a-half long service, the body was finally lowered into the ground at 7:46 pm, following Hong's wife, Lisa, delivering her final good-byes, and taking the flag off the casket. Hong became the fourth prime minister to be buried in the cemetery, with the most recent buried being Kovrov Stoyanovich in 2007. RBS secured the rights to air the entire farewell procession, and transmitted coverage to international channels worldwide, accessible to over 88 countries, and viewed by millions at home and abroad. Trial of Dylan Coulter Following interrogation and questioning by the Sutter County Sheriff's Department, Dylan Coulter was formally charged with one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder, conspiracy to murder high-ranking officials, illegal trespassing, impersonation of a security cleared individual, and other crimes. Some of the charges carried the death penalty, others with sentences of life imprisonment. Coulter was deemed as mentally competent, open, and communicable. During questioning, Coulter admitted that he initially wanted to detonate an explosive where Hong was, and later proceed to shooting any fleeing survivors and bystanders at the scene. He however, decided, hours before, to simply shoot Hong on national television in order to elicit a more personal response and reaction from the public. After investigations, officials concluded that the nature of Coulter's assassination was politically motivated and clearly premeditated, and noted that Coulter himself acknowledged that the attack was motivated by his republican beliefs, and was also race-based. When Coulter was asked by a federal judge if he could afford an attorney, Coulter responded with "no", and was provided with a by the federal government. On August 14, Coulter was moved from the Sutter County Sheriff's Department Detainment Center to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Chico. Due to his involvement in high-profile case, he was kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day, and separated from the main inmates to avoid potential attacks. Throughout his detainment, he was classified and treated as a inmate. On August 16, KS Attorney-General Russell Yu announced that the federal government was seeking the against Dylan Coulter, and negotiations between the government and Coulter's defense attorneys stalled the pretrial process. The federal government refused to rule out the death penalty for sentencing. On December 16, Coulter, in his first court appearance, pleaded not guilty to 22 charges before Judge Matthias De Vries of the K.S. District Court for the District of Plumas. He was summoned in the following day by Judge De Vries. Although Coulter's lawyers requested a lengthier grace period to allow a prepared defense, and the need to find a "truly impartial and disaffected jury", Judge De Vries ruled that the trial of Dylan Coulter begin on October 10, citing the "urgency and nature of the case" regarding Coulter. On February 10, 2017, the court was unable to find enough eligible jurors to serve on trial, and Judge De Vries postponed Coulter's trial until March 31. Between these two dates, jury selection resulted in the review of a pool of over 1,500 prospective jurors, which was narrowed down to 92 eligible candidates after questioning 321 individuals. On April 19, a jury composed of seven men and five women was chosen. The trial began on April 30 in the early morning with opening statements. Former Attorney General Russell Yu, who had worked under the late Prime Minister Hong, described Coulter as an "individual with dangerous, jebbish qualities", whose premeditation and lack of remorse demonstrated the defendant's "inability to function in society responsibly". Coulter's defense attorney, Montgomery Krauss stated in his opening statement that Coulter's actions were "unfortunately obvious", recognizing the overwhelming amount of evidence pointing towards Coulter being for responsible for Hong's death, but then argued against giving Coulter the death penalty under the grounds that he was a "truly demented and twisted individual" whose upbringing prevented Coulter from living a normal life, and that Coulter's decision was influenced by online republican communities and the "failure of the mental health system". Official investigations Sutter County Sheriff's Department After Coulter was arrested and evidence was collected from the scene, Coulter was held at the Sutter County Sheriff's Department Headquarters in Dappe for interrogation. Coulter was subject to questioning all evening on August 12, and continued to be interviewed the following day from 7 am to 2 pm. According to Coulter, he asserted that the shooting was indeed premeditated, and he was solely responsible, and that no one else was involved in the conspiracy. Throughout the investigation, although Coulter did not deny his responsibility in the death of Hong, he expressed no remorse, and believed he was innocent, believing he was called upon to eradicate "tyrants". He also made the claim that while he was "pleased" that Hong was killed, he did not originally plan to kill Hong, as he merely wanted to inflict enough harm on Hong to warrant his incapacity to serve a third term as prime minister. He stated his decision to attack Allison Perry and Carson Davis immediately after shooting Hong were also intentional. Royal Bureau of Investigation The Royal Bureau of Investigation (RBI) officially handled the investigation in conjunction and assistance of the Sutter County Sheriff's Department. RBI investigated Coulter's residence in Bernheim, and the homes of his relatives, and friends, and collected hundreds of articles, documents, and items as evidence for the case. A 38-page digital document saved in Coulter's personal computer was uncovered, as well as various handguns and DIY handbook on homemade explosions were found in his home. Coulter was confirmed to have been the sole tenant in his residence, while his parents lived out of state, in San Francisco. RBI obtained permission by Apple and Google to search through Coulter's personal correspondence, and interrogated at least 10 individuals with possible connection to the attack. Currently, the RBI has declined to state if any of the individuals they have interviewed could be treated as suspects. Brantly Commission The Prime Minister's Commission on the Assassination of Steven Hong (colloquially known as the Brantly Commission) is an official ad hoc panel created under Acting Prime Minister Preston Bolivar and the Ministry of Justice to specifically investigate the alleged, deliberate mishandling of Hong's security at the hands of the Secret Service, who were responsible for the prime minister's safety. It was created shortly after Hong's death with raised suspicion of the Secret Service's apparent compromise and critical violations on standard security protocol. The Commission is chaired by Supreme Court Chief Justice Preston Brantly and consists of 21 other government officials including senators and governors. The Commission was also empowered to aid the Sutter County Sheriff's Department and the Royal Bureau of Investigation in the main investigation of Dylan Coulter's motives and crime, and to investigate any other government agencies suspected in possible conspiracy. On December 16, the Brantly Commission was reauthorized under incoming Prime Minister Daniel McComb. McComb chose to retain outgoing Attorney-General Russell Yu as head of the Commission. On January 4, 2017, the federal government announced that it had enough evidence to suggest that the security breach was intentional, and that it had a list of 14 suspects from within the government including the Secret Service. For privacy reasons, the names and identity of these suspects were not revealed until March 13 when the government announced it would be prosecuting 6 of the suspects, including Secret Service Director Nathan Mandell for willful negligence in criminal court. Reactions Domestic International * Brazoria – Chancellor Eva Kreuz condemned the assassination, calling it a "horrible affront against democracy and liberty in Sierra", slamming the attack as a form of terrorism "that will not go unpunished", and expressed her grief and sorrow in the attack, as she regarded Hong as a "dear friend". Kreuz reiterated Brazoria's commitment and loyalty as an ally to Sierra, stating that "an attack on Sierra was also an attack on Brazoria", and ordered the flags of all government buildings to fly at half-mast in honor of Hong for a week following Hong's death. Kreuz and other Brazorian dignitaries later attended the funeral of Steven Hong personally, and provided consolation to First Lady Lisa Hong and others. * Hani – Premier Li Seng and the Yi imperial household express their sincere condolences to the Sierran government and towards the people of Sierra. During their speech, they put forward their concerns over the current tensions between the Sierran royalists and republicans, condemning the increasingly radical elements of republicanism within Sierra. They state, "should the situation escalate, we shall swear loyalty to the royalists, as we ourselves are a constitutional monarchy." The Han government also advises safety warnings for Hans living within Sierra, and recommend temporarily relocating to Hani until protests die down. * Hudson – President provided his condolences to the Sierran people, and said that the Hudsonian people shares the pain in mourning the loss of a "great and exceptional leader", and criticized political extremism, and the use of violence and terrorism to perpetuate fear and disorder. * Rainier - Rainian president Diane Hall cancelled an upcoming state visit to Sierra in light of the assassination, expressing shock at the "murder of the elected representative of the Sierran people". Prime Minister Hywel Price stated that the Rainian government stands in solidarity with the Sierran one, whilst former President Hannah Kwong in a tweet said that the murder of Hong was a show of terrorism, and that she was saddened by the death of a personal friend. * United Commonwealth - Secretariat Baron Avery was air lifted out of to Louisville in response to the attack. Avery expressed sympathy towards the people of Sierra, while also condemning the radical elements of republicanism in the country, stating "...in Sierra, the peaceful ideology of republicanism has been hijacked by a radical element and should not showcase what is true to our beliefs." The United Commonwealth Department of State has issued warnings to Appalachian's entering Brazoria and Sierra on grounds of the historic animosity between the states- fearing that United Commonwealth citizens could be targeted for retaliation. Clay Caomhánach, a former student of the and former Secretariat, expressed that Steven Hong was a champion of LGBT rights and that the tragedy will "...ripple through the hearts of Sierrans and of those who were lucky enough to enjoy the country's welcome." Non-state * Conference of American States – Secretary General Johann Hauptmann expressed his vehement condemnation and disgust of the assassination, and said the news were truly saddening for all Americans. Hauptmann stressed the Conference's commitment to working with Sierra, and offered assistance in light of the attack. He urged peace and order, and for justice to brought onto all those responsible. Hauptmann presided the special session held by the American Council and Parliament that was summoned immediately after Hong's death was made apparent. * - ISIS published a statement that "applauded" the death of an "imperialist infidel" that represented the "decadence of the west" and pointed to the event as being a sign of western contradictions imploding upon themselves in preparation for the rise of the global Caliphate. See also *Republicanism in Sierra *Steven Hong Category:Kingdom of Sierra Category:History of Sierra Category:Events Category:Altverse